1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an accessory for a home aquarium and has articular relation to a device which provides a means for creating a two-tiered aquarium/terrarium to accurately depict a natural aquatic shoreline environment within an aquarium.
2. Description of the prior Art
Previous attempts at creating this type of dual environment within aquariums have met with only limited success. These have often involved fixed stationary platforms supporting the terrestrial upper tier. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,620 issued to Kassos, a fixed glass platform is incorporated into the construction of the aquarium and forms the base of the terrestrial upper region.
The disadvantages of this design are that the position of the immovable platform hinders routine maintenance of the aquatic lower section. In addition, lighting, filtering, and heating of that section would be difficult using the commercial aquarium accessories currently available.
A further disadvantage is that when viewed from below, the bottom of the fixed platform would resent an unnatural appearance.
Another disadvantage of the fixed platform design is that slight changes in the water level of the lower section due to evaporation, to cause any reptiles or amphibians kept in the tank to become stranded in the aquatic section, unable to climb onto the terrestrial platform above.
A second type of design previously used consists of a small floatable device which is laced in the aquarium providing a means for reptiles and amphibians to climb out of the water. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,141,442 issued to Harris, a buoyant plastic raft is attached to the upper rim of the aquarium with mounting brackets which allow the raft to move vertically in response to any changes in water level while preventing lateral movement or tipping. While this design allows reptiles, amphibians, and the like to be kept in a deep water aquarium, its mounting brackets limit its location to a small region very near the top of the tank. This places the raft in close proximity to lights, filter tubes, hoods, and other aquarium accessories. The poor viewing location severely limits its visual appeal.
For aquarium owners there is presently no device which successfuly recreates a natural shoreline environment within a home aquarium.